Council Tax and business rates phone lines

The telephone service for Council Tax and business rates will be unavailable on Friday 4 October. You can still contact us online to tell us of any changes in circumstances, make a payment arrangement or make a payment. Our telephone service will resume on Monday 7 October.

If a person dies at home or in a residential / nursing home you need to contact us immediately.

We need to know:

  • The name and address of the deceased
  • The date of death and birth, if possible
  • Where the deceased is
  • Who has the certificate of death
  • Any paperwork that you have
  • Who needs to be notified of the funeral arrangements

If the deceased has died in hospital, the hospital will make the arrangements and pay for the funeral.

We will:

  • Register the death
  • Arrange to search the home of the deceased for a will, bank information and other documents or property to pay for the funeral and contact relatives
  • Arrange for a cremation or burial
  • Notify the Treasury Solicitor if there is money in the estate once the funeral has been paid for.

You may be able to get a funeral expenses payment if you arrange the funeral yourself and are in receipt of the relevant benefits.